New Zealand mosque shooting prompts gun reform

by Christopher Suarez - Campus Talk Editor

Thu, Apr 11th 2019 04:00 pm

Needed reform Following the massacre of 50 Muslim churchgoers in New Zealand, the country is receiving widespread support from around the world. In response to the massacre, New Zealand has now enforced a new gun law that would make it difficult for people like Brenton Tarrant to get their hands on a semi automatic weapon.

It was a gloomy afternoon as worshipers made their way into the mosque for daily prayer. With no fear in sight, prayers resonated throughout the Al Noor Mosque in Christchurch, New Zealand, as a group of over 50 worshippers filled the building. While prayer went on, a man creeped his way into the parking lot as he parked his gray Subaru Outback. He grabbed his weapons from the passenger seat and went into the trunk of his car as if preparing for war.

The man made his way to the front of the mosque fitted with tactical gear and equipped with a camera recording his every move, livestreaming the last breaths of innocent human beings on Facebook.

He was greeted at the door by a Muslim churchgoer who said to him “Greetings brother.” The poor man greeted him with love and positivity, then the shooter said “Let’s get this party started.” The churchgoer turned around and received a shotgun bullet in the back, becoming the first of many victims.

The attacker proceeded inside the mosque and started shooting every human in sight. The camera recorded the blood spilled of the men and women as he stepped over them as if they were dirt. Viewers were able to hear the screams and the panic of the people as the attacker made his way deeper and deeper inside the mosque.

Those in the mosque were not immediately full of panic and horror as some confused the sound of the gunshots with the mosque speaker system. The screams of pain and fear is what finally made them panic and run for their lives. Some were able to make it out, but many were caught in the line of fire of the deranged gunman.

The killer rounded back and shot the dead corpses of the victims he had already killed. He left the mosque, headed back to his car and drove off.

Viewers of the livestream could hear the killer say “It was too quick, I should have stayed longer” as he drove to the Linwood Islamic Center. There, he would start firing bullets into the bodies of more praying churchgoers, including multiple children.

His body count was already at 43 when he shot and killed seven more in Linwood. He left the mosque and drove down the avenue, ultimately being stopped and arrested by the New Zealand police.

The attacker was 28-year-old Australian, Brenton Tarrant. According to The New York Times, the motive for his attack was his hatred for the immigrant Muslims that made their way to New Zealand in hopes of refuge. Tarrant walked in to both mosques killing a total of 50 people and injuring many more.

The horrific incidents of March 15, 2019 sparked a major change in New Zealand law. According to USA Today, the country has put in new gun laws that will go into effect as soon as possible. The new gun law would prohibit the purchase of any semiautomatic weapons and force current owners of the gun to return them immediately.

This new decision is one that many other countries have yet to enforce. According to USA Today, New Zealand has about 30 privately owned guns per 100 people. This is a low number compared to the United States’ 90 privately owned firearms per 100 people. New Zealand has made a tireless effort in assuring that the country does not become what the United States has become. As New Zealand is a country that has a low homicide rate already, it wants to make sure that number does not escalate.

Countries around the world should take notice of the efforts made by New Zealand to stop gun violence. But the country that suffers from high gun violence rates the most is the United States.

In my opinion the United States needs to enforce similar gun laws in order to prevent the high amount of gun violence and mass shootings that occur in the country. According to Metro, since 2000 there have been 38 mass shootings involving lone gunmen in the United States.

I am afraid that the United States has reached a point in the gun debate where there are just too many guns to control. With so many guns in the streets, it will take years for the country to disarm all civilians with semi-automatic weapons.

However, this issue could have been dealt with before the number of victims became so high. New Zealand has made a conscious decision in stopping the spread of these firearms now before it becomes a national issue like it has in the United States.

May all the victims in the New Zealand shooting rest in peace and I hope that one day the world will stop spreading hate due to each other’s differences.